The Los Angeles Lakers paid tribute to Kobe Bryant during their basketball game against Portland on (Friday) January 31.

This marked the first Los Angeles Lakers game since the helicopter crash that killed Kobe, his daughter Gianna, Alyssa, Keri and John Altobelli, Sarah and Payton Chester, Christina Mauser and Ara Zobayan.

During the pre-game ceremony, cellist Ben Hong performed at center court with yellow flowers in the shapes of Kobe's numbers 8 and 24 beside him. A moving video tribute played in the background with Kobe telling the camera his life story.

Boyz II Men performed the national anthem in Kobe's jerseys prior to the game, Usher then performed an emotional rendition of "Amazing Grace."

LeBron James was photographed tearing up at the moving tribute and made sure to mention all of the victims' names during his heartfelt speech. "Laker nation, man, I will be selling you short if I read off this s--t, so I'm gonna go straight from the heart," James told the crowd. James was the last person Kobe tweeted before his tragic passing.

During half-time, Charlie Puth and Wiz Khalifa gave a moving performance their hit "See You Again" for the NBA legend and victims of the crash.

No. 2 and No. 24 jerseys laid on the sideline along with roses to honor Gianna and Kobe. Every seat in the audience had a purple or yellow jersey with No. 24 or No. 8 to honor Kobe's numbers during his Lakers career.

Watch the emotional tributes, below.

Stars We Lost in 2019

 

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